A Thousand Paper Cranes
by beeper
Summary: KakaIru. When Iruka is presumed dead, several people react in many different ways.
1. Chapter 1

Author's notes: KakaIru story, for once not a drabble or one-shot, (but god knows you'd have been better off with those). I am very aware that this is a very, **very** cliched storyline, and it is my intention to have a take on this plot. So please don't flame me about how OOC everyone is, or how stupid this plotline is (okay maybe the former,) because it was intentional. Just my take, okay? 

Inspiration taken from many many sources, from a livejournal I chanced upon (D) and pretty fanart and my brain screaming at me in the middle of the night. 

****

Disclaimer: Naruto and the characters do not belong to me, no matter how much I fangirl and all that. 

On to the disaster!

___

Hatake Kakashi did not know when he started, when he'd began classifying his life into 'Before Iruka' and 'After meeting Iruka'. Now he didn't know whether he'd start to classify his onward life as 'After Iruka'. 

It hurt too much to even _think_ of the possibility. 

He'd been off to a mission, and although dangerous, had promised to come back safe and sound. It had been all frantic kisses, desperate, stolen touches in the dark before he'd left, early in the morning, while Kakashi had still been asleep. 

_I'll be back before you know it_, Iruka had said, smiling reassuringly and squeezing Kakashi's hands,_ I promise. Take care of Naruto for me while I'm gone, okay?_

He'd been gone for more than a week. 

Kakashi had been summoned to the Hokage's office early in the morning, when the sunlight was still weak and watery. Tsunade, solemn and almost pitying had told him, told him that Iruka was deemed as dead. 

It had been an ambush. 

By some miracle Kakashi had managed to look unaffected. 

"I'll.. I'll tell Naruto that, then." He'd managed, carefully. 

Tsunade had nodded, had looked up and wished to say something more. Words of sympathy, condolences, maybe. 

He didn't know. He had not remained long enough to listen. 

Well, he should be feeling something else by now, shouldn't he? Iruka had been more than a friend, more than an acquaintance. 

Umino Iruka had been his lover. 

Kakashi didn't quite feel like he was grieving properly like he should. Instead, his head were full of strange thoughts, like the fact that he should have insisted to accompany the ANBU team they'd sent, or how he was supposed to tell Naruto, or even the fact that he was three hours late to meet his gennins. 

__

I never let my comrades die, he heard himself echo again, nothing but a blatant mockery. 

Then he saw Naruto. Naruto was scowling characteristically at his teacher for being late—he did that without fail, and without ever getting tedious of the ritual—and was getting ready to complain about his teacher's lateness.

"Naruto," Kakashi heard himself say, and he hated himself for sounding so normal, "come here a minute." 

Naruto looked momentarily puzzled but soon perked up, running towards his teacher, probably feeling smug that he had been singled out. He stopped in front of his teacher and grinned at him. 

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei? What is it?" Naruto enthused loudly, stealing a triumphant I-told-you-so peek at Sasuke before continuing, "Have I been chosen to be Hokage? Am I to lead today's mission? Are—"

Kakashi was quite sure he felt his heart break. 

"Naruto," he began again, "It's.."

His mouth was too dry, his head too numb. Giving up on trying to say anything at all, Kakashi fell to his knees and gathered Naruto into a fierce embrace. 

"Sensei?" Naruto fairly squealed, thinking that something was Very Wrong yet somehow feeling terribly self-conscious of his teammates' curious glances boring into his back. 

Kakashi quickly released him and looked straight at his worse (in most aspects) student. 

"Iruka's dead." 

There. That was it. He'd done what he was supposed to do. 

To his surprise Naruto began to laugh, "Sensei, that's a really bad jo—"

He trailed off awkwardly and stared, his jaw slack, his eyes filling with tears. "It's true..?"

"That was what Hokage said." 

"Well that's _stupid_! The old hag wouldn't know _anything_! Iruka-sensei would go off anywhere and die without telling me, and he promised too, he _promi—"_

Kakashi searched for something to say, something comforting, something reassuring and came upon dead-end after dead-end. 

"I'm sorry," he said simply, a lump forming in his throat, choking him. "I really am."

And he really was. 


	2. Chapter 2

****

Disclaimer : Naruto and all its characters belong to Kishimoto-sensei. Not me. 

Chapter two : 

_"I-erh.. I never did learn to fold paper cranes," Iruka explained awkwardly, trying to smile._

The implication: 'My parents weren't alive long enough to teach me' hung in the air, making the both of them fall silent. 

"Look, it's easy," he'd started, grinning a wide, easy smile beneath his mask, "You just need to fold here, like this, you see? And--"

Iruka couldn't help but stare intently, curiosity getting better of him. Kakashi took advantage of the younger man's inattentiveness and stole forward, pressing a light-hearted kiss to his cheek.

Iruka was so flabbergasted he couldn't form the words to protest. Before he could, Kakashi had already resumed his original position. 

"Hai, Iruka-sensei?" He'd enquired, the very picture of innocence. 

Iruka flushed a bright red and scowled, scooting closer to the older man. 

"Could you show it to me again?" 

Kakashi glanced at him for a moment, colouring faintly before resuming his placid, sleepy expression. He picked up another piece of the brightly coloured paper and began to repeat his movements, slower this time.

"It is said that," he began softly, "your greatest wish will come true if you fold one thousand origami cranes. " He paused momentarily, frowning as he tried to recall the steps and continued, "Once Sadako, a 12-year old Japanese girl, lay dying from radiation sickness 10 years after the bombing in Hiroshima. She undertook to fold 1,000 cranes so that she could live."

He looked up to see Iruka staring at him, eyes soft. 

"She died before she could complete her task." Kakashi intoned, "Her classmates folded the remaining number and she was buried with a _thousand _c_ranes."_

Iruka swallowed, and suddenly discovered he had regained the use of his voice. He blinked and realised that Kakashi was looking back at him, gently, patiently, almost he was expected Iruka to say something. 

"How- how'd you know?"

Kakashi found his lips stretching into the familiar smile he had when he was with Iruka. 

"My mother told me." He said simply, finishing the wings of the paper crane and setting it down at the table beside him carefully. "11."

--

Phase one of 'After Iruka', Kakashi decided, was folding a thousand paper cranes. That day in the hospital they'd wanted to fold a thousand for Rock Lee. As an overly dedicated teacher, Iruka had naturally been upset, only to end up being taught, and folding, paper cranes by the most unexpected person. 

Iruka hadn't mentioned anything about continuing, so Kakashi had left it at that. 11. 

Phase one wasn't going too well, Kakashi had thought, for someone who had become a chuunin at 8 and the very same who had rubbed it in when Iruka had wanted to protest enrollin—

__

Iruka. 

This was how all his thoughts went. One way or other, he'd somehow be reminded of Iruka. Even when he was looking at his breakfast, he'd remind himself that days ago, Iruka had had breakfast every morning as well. 

So he'd started folding. What he was wishing for, he had no idea. All he knew was to constantly fold, fold and fold. It helped keep his mind in a pleasant monotone, except when he stopped and realised the purpose. 

It also helped him to end up being even later to meet his students. 

Not that it made any difference though. Naruto didn't even react the same anymore, no matter how atrociously late Kakashi arrived. He'd be sullen and subdued, ignoring the taunts Sasuke threw (and now with some kind of desperation) at him. Sakura couldn't help giving him worried glances after he'd turned down a playful offer to take her out on a date.

Nowadays, Kakashi considered himself lucky if he saw Naruto without a frown. 

--

He was in the middle of folding his.. How many had he folded? He couldn't count. His house was flooded with paper cranes, he'd long run out of places to store them. Now they lay scattered about his house, bright and cheery. 

Kakashi was tired of crying, of lying _alone_ at night when the silence only served to remind him of what was missing. He was tired of staring blankly at the mess in his house, only to feel strangely surprised when the paper cranes, vivid against his pale bedsheets suddenly twisted and blurred, reminding him of a kaleidoscope he'd once seen, when his parents were alive.

When was the last time he cried? Not since Obito's death, probably. 

It was when he was halfway, almost _lazily_ sorting and counting the number of paper cranes (and trying to ignore the funny noises of despair Iruka made with his tongue when he entered Kakashi's house for the first time) when he was summoned to the Hokage's office again. 

He'd long began to regard the being called to see the Hokage as a bad omen. 

"435," he breathed, before getting up meet the Hokage. "only 565 to go."

__

****

Author's Notes: Thanks _a lot_ to those that reviewed. I'm hardly as good as you kind people say (although I'd love to be) and I'll make you eat your words by the end of the story! D It's going to get more and more cliched, so fasten your seatbelts. Again, thank you for all the nice reviews. I'm touched. The fanart is at (which is strangely a KakaNaru site, but I won't go there..) Until the next chapter, folks!

__


	3. Chapter 3

He was alive. 

That was what she had said, her face halfway between frowning at the bad news or smiling at the good news. She settled for a wan smile and waited for his response. 

Well, he didn't know what response she wanted. He had arrived, hands in pockets, shoulders slouched like usual, and even after hearing the news had managed to keep himself in check. 

He swallowed. And swallowed again. Still slouched. Hands still in pockets. Almost as if she had told him something else, something normal, like how apples came from trees, or carrots from the ground. Was this some cruel conspiracy? Because, really, he didn't think he'd like the joke very much, and-

Tsunade allowed a more sincere smile to stretch her lips and continued. "He's at the hospital, but-"

Kakashi hated 'buts', and didn't remain there to listen. He made his way to the hospital, but he didn't know where to find him. But he always found him, didn't he? They'd always found their way to each other, and—

There. Kakashi stopped abruptly at an open window and gaped. 

There he was. The source of _everything_. The person who was currently nursing a broken leg and peeling an apple. Kakashi was torn between charging in and shaking him _properly_ for being so nonchalant or grabbing him and holding him tight, before he disappeared again.

Iruka looked up, saw Kakashi, and looked from shocked to quizzical.

"Kakashi-sensei..?" 

Kakashi paused, unsure of what scenario he was in and what role he was to play. He forced his face to remain neutral and held up a hand in greeting. "Hey." 

".. In a rush?" Iruka asked, attention gradually returning back to his apple. 

Kakashi stared. 

"You can't mean to say you came to visit me, Kakashi-sensei?" Iruka queried, quickly getting more and more confused about Kakashi's intentions, before spotting his apple and holding it up, "A-Ah, I'm sorry, do you want some?" 

Kakashi just gaped for a moment before whirling around and stalking out the door, leaving Iruka with a wondering and vaguely hurt expression.

-- 

"What do you mean, you don't know?!" 

Kakashi's eyes were narrowed, and the person currently shifting uncomfortably under the gaze was a doctor of the hospital. 

"Anou.. Hatake-san, he was just admitted, and he's still under observation so—"

"Cut the bullshit." Kakashi growled, deep and low in his throat, "Why doesn't he recognise _me_!?"

The doctor gulped again, eyes darting everywhere in fear, before raking his fingers through his hair. 

"He doesn't remember. We're not sure yet, but.." 

Kakashi paled before slowly lowering the nervous doctor. 

---

For the life of him, Iruka could not remember what he had done to deserve such treatment from his colleague. Sure, he was bored; the hours in hospital were long and dreary with only the constant drone of machines to accompany him. Although there was Naruto, and he was like the burst of fresh air that made his mouth crinkle into a familiar smile, and the menace that hurt his leg, saying 'Iruka-sensei is a sissy!" when he yelped in pain. 

But Kakashi was a different matter.   


At first he'd come in, face set in grim determination, asking if Iruka _remembered_, and when he'd said _'What?'_ he thought he saw Kakashi's jaw clench tight but maybe that was just the mask. And then Kakashi had asked him peculiar questions like whether he knew how to fold paper cranes, which of course he didn't, and he had said so, cautiously, because Kakashi looked as if he wanted to kill someone. 

But he was bored, and the drone of the machine lulled him in and out of restless slumber. His head throbbed not painfully, but unpleasantly, and he was always stiff because his damn leg was always hanging in the air. And sometimes at night he'd wake, eyes crusty and bleary and Kakashi would be at his bed dozing quietly. (or was he, because he always seemed so tense?) But in the morning, when shadows were chased away by bright fingers of light he'd dismiss it as a dream. 

But surely he was meant to remember something? 

- - -   
  
**Author's Notes:** Erh okay, the worse is over, so it can't get anymore cliche. I hope. Still with me? Aye, hope so. Apologies for the late update, school fairly kills anyone, and well, at least Iruka's not dead! More loving for teh two, innit? Thanks to all reviews, I'll try to improve on the length and everything else. Thanks again! 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

*

Nowadays his days were spent folding. It was easy; all he had to do was to assign Team 7 their tasks, which nowadays were silly, mundane things like clearing rubbish or watching dogs, settle down and fold.   
  
  
It was all ridiculously simple. Of course Sasuke often grumbled quietly about the waste of time, and Naruto the same, although at a much louder volume. Sakura would just glared at Naruto and mourned that she was in the same team as a 'moron'.   
  
  
But it was easier, he reckoned, at least he rested easy, knowing that Iruka was not dead but alive and well, with a strange affection for apples. But now and then a strange tug of fear would pull at him and he'd find himself back at Iruka's bedside again. Other times he'd find himself there after he woke up, drenched with sweat and heart thudding fiercely, head filled with nightmares of Iruka. Iruka dead, injured, ambushed, tortured.   
  
  
They happened every night, like a horror series fuelled by his own imagination.   
  
  
But he was finishing soon, rapidly approaching a thousand, and if the legend was true Iruka would remember. Just a thousand, and Iruka would know what he meant to him. Kakashi worked on with a sort of feverish desperation, squashing doubt when it arose in him. Those 'what ifs', like _what if the legend was just a legend_ or _what if Iruka never remembered_.  
  
  
And he smiled more now. Naruto now returned to bantering with Sasuke enthusiastically, who'd normally stop with half hearted 'dobe'. They still competed furiously, though. If Kakashi wanted Naruto to do something, all he had to so was to say 'I bet Sasuke could do it." and Naruto would be jumping all over him, asking him to hurry and tell him what it was he was supposed to do.   
  
  
He had three hundred more to go, something he could easily finish with another sleepless night. The remaining papercranes were at home, strung and coiled up like thick, colourful snakes deep in slumber. At times when he felt exceptionally optimistic he'd allow to think that they were actually beautiful.   
  
  
In the distance he heard a series of loud splashes, followed by yells which stopped abruptly. Naruto at it again.   
  
  
With a flourish he opened the three hundredth and first paper crane, stretching the wiings and smiling to himself.   
  
  
"Ta dah," he muttered to himself, pocketing it. "Another one for you, Iruka-sensei."  
  
  
*  
  
Iruka was, quite frankly, bored out of his mind. He worried incessantly about his pupils' schoolwork, whether they were up to date, whether they would be ready to take the exam. He worried about the ramen stall going out of business, he worried about his laundry (even though he knew he'd packed them away neatly before he--)  
  
  
What was it that happened, exactly?   
  
  
More and more, Iruka found himself frustrated by these voids in his memory, selective voids as they appeared. He remembered Naruto, his parents (and their deaths), he even remembered when he'd last taken Naruto out for ramen (it was pork, with extra spring onions, please) which was the twentieth of August, when the weather had started to chill and proceed into September. 

But what affected him the most was that he didn't remember that _Kakashi_ wanted him to remember. 

Now Iruka took to thinking all day, trying to remember what he ought to, and he even briefly considered the notion of lying to Kakashi, but he dispelled the idea. 

And for all this time, Iruka would remain silent for a long, long time.

*

Author's notes: Almost at the end, a chapter to go I think. Thanks a lot for the reviews, they make me smile :) Hope this wasn't too bad. 


	5. Chapter 5 : epilogue

  
Author's note : A new chapter. I apologise for the delay. Hope this is up to expectations. : )

(also apologise for the formatting, still do not have the hang of it.)

-

It was when Iruka received a bowl of peeled apples when he really began to wonder if he made people misunderstand him (He didn't obsess over apples, he just found them tasty). It wasn't that the apples were horrid (although they looked strangely suspicious, all peeled like that) or the bowl ugly (it was just plain with an attempt at pattern, which failed horribly) it was the recipient that astonished him.

When Kakashi saw that Iruka was not touching the apples, he was annoyed and mildly irritated.

"Take one," he'd said, in what he hoped was an appealing manner.

Iruka's jaw had hung slack before he disguised his surprise by a polite cough. He hurriedly reached for an apple and held it gingerly in his hands before taking a tentative lick.

They turned out to be salty.

"I think the idea is to bite, Iruka-sensei," Kakashi supplied helpfully, twitching.

"Er. Well," Iruka started, "it's sort of.. salty isn't it?"

"Aren't they supposed to be?" Kakashi asked in astonishment. "Supposed to keep them from browning."

"I still don't remember, you know," Iruka said, holding out the apple. "Sorry."

He sat there in the clothes the hospital provided, waiting for Kakashi to snatch back the apples, either remorse from attempting to poison him, or to take back the reward he had intended to give.

There was a pregnant pause, in which Kakashi scratched his head.

"Yea," he said blankly, "I know."

Having no other choice, Iruka bit into one of them and chewed experimentally, wondering if he was going to drop dead from poisoning any minute. Some poisons were very effective, even if the nurse came in right now he'd still die. Or maybe Kakashi had chosen the slow-acting but torturous kind? He hoped for the former, he didn't want to writhe in agony for hours before dying. Who was Kakashi kidding? The saltiness of the apple was as good as an alarm that shrieked poison.

"Er. It's good," Iruka said, after swallowing and hoping for the best, "Thank you."

A moment passed. Iruka looked at Kakashi—chewing the apple, which wasn't that bad afterall—who shifted awkwardly under his gaze.

"I'd be going then," announced Kakashi to no one in particular, "I think I'm sufficiently late."

Iruka choked on his apple and was about to pose a question, but Kakashi had already vanished in a puff of smoke.

When he realised that he wasn't experiencing any lethal symptoms, Iruka shrugged to himself and reached for another apple.

-

It was only when he reached the nine hundreds when he began to have serious doubts. Nine hundred and fifty. Nine hundred and eighty.

He stopped just short of one.

Kakashi put down the completed paper crane with a sigh, standing up and stretching.

I'm an idiot, he thought. Honestly. Believing in such myths. What would people say if they knew?

With a kind of quiet, resigned remorse, Kakashi began to pick up the thick ropes of paper cranes, stuffing them into a large paper bag. Then, after scratching his head, he went down to the market to buy apples.

-

The first visit shocked Iruka, who later was deeply perturbed by Kakashi's actions. (He did not finish his apple.)

Iruka is not sure of this, but he thinks Kakashi was present, watching him in his sleep.

Iruka does not know of the third visit; Kakashi was watching from a tree. Iruka was testing his leg gingerly. Also, Iruka was too busy arguing with a nurse to pay any attention to flora and fauna.

Kakashi comes and hands him a basket of fruits on the fifth visit. He seems to think that it is standard procedure, and Iruka does not object.

The sixth visit, he watched as Naruto leapt onto the bed enthusiastically. A nin dog also brought a pineapple.

By the seventh visit, Kakashi and Iruka have settled into a strange sort of routine. No matter how surprised Iruka is at Kakashi's appearance, he does not complain but watches him carefully.

Never once has Iruka taken the initiative to look for Kakashi. Not since the accident.

-

Early morning, and Kakashi is frowning at the half-crushed crane in his hand. He starts when he hears someone approaching clumsily outside, but does not react until he hears a polite knock on his door. Muttering under his breath, he discards the paper crane and wanders to the door lazily.

The door slides open to reveal Iruka, who is looking faintly surprised at himself.

Kakashi stares.

"Erh. Hello, Kakashi-sensei," Iruka mumbles, bowing profusely despite the fact that his leg is in a thick white cast. "I'm sorry for bothering you so late."

Kakashi blinks, scratches his head and clears his throat awkwardly. "Hey. Is there anything you want?"

Iruka, who is occupying himself by trying to scratch his leg under his cast, wonders if Kakashi ever gets nervous.

"Well," he begins, staring at Kakashi strangely. "I just—"

Kakashi curses before apologising. "Oh. You better come in. Sorry 'bout that."

Stopped mid-sentence, Iruka can only oblige, shuffling in awkwardly.

When they are both seated properly, Iruka prepares to start anew, but is distracted by Kakashi who is attempting to kick something under his bed inconspicuously.

"Kakashi?"

"Ah. Yes?" Kakashi snaps to attention a little too quickly, laughing in embarrassment, "It's a mess here, isn't it?"

Iruka fiddles with his cast and smiles in agreement.

"Look, I—"

"Some tea, perhaps?" Kakashi offers, leaping energetically from his bed to the kitchen. "I'm such a bad host, I apologise. Sugar? Milk?"

"Same as yours, two cubes, without milk."

Kakashi laughs, rummaging for cups. He doesn't know why he's acting so ridiculously. Just let Iruka say his piece, and let him leave. Shouldn't he be in the hospital anyway?

No, scratch that. Kakashi knows why he's acting this way. He doesn't want to hear what he thinks Iruka will say, something about being sorry and hoping Kakashi doesn't mind.

So he valiantly thinks of topics to distract Iruka with, mind racing on topic after topic before striking a jackpot. Naruto. If anything can distract Iruka, it is Naruto.

"You know," he starts, emptying a liberal amount of tea leaves into the cups, "Naruto was there to see you once, but you were asleep."

Iruka looks up from fiddling with something and frowns. "He did?"

"Yea," Kakashi says. "Complained about it a lot to Sasuke."

"Kakashi—" Iruka starts, obviously not distracted despite his efforts, "I remember."

He stiffens, halfway dropping a cube of sugar into the second cup. The steam warms his fingers.

"Kakashi?" Iruka repeats hesitantly, "Did you hear me? I said I remembered. Everything. Are you okay with that? I mean, if you want me to forget, I can forget this ever happened, but you see, I thought I needed to let you know, since.."

He realises he's babbling, and slowly runs out of words to say.

"Look," Iruka says again, sounding mildly irritated and hurt, "if you don't want to talk, I'll just leave now, alright?"

He fumbles half-heartedly at his clutches for awhile and looks hopefully at Kakashi's back.

"Iruka," Kakashi says, so softly Iruka might have imagined it, "it's okay, you don't have to pretend to remember." He turns around, smiling. "Here, your tea."

Iruka scowls and hobbles to the counter furiously. "It's always like that, Kakashi. You don't believe me, don't you. Forget this. Sorry I've bothered you."

Iruka slams something onto the counter before making his way to the door.

It is a paper crane. The head is hideous, the wings appallingly slanted, but it is a paper crane.

Kakashi gawks at it shortly before calling out in panic.

"Oi! Hold on."

Iruka pauses, hand on the door and looks impatient.

"What's my favourite book?" Kakashi asks quickly, setting down the cups.

Iruka looks appalled, but he turns about slowly and answers anyway.

"Icha Icha Paradise. The best novels in the world," he deadpanns, quoting Kakashi from times before.

Kakashi grins. "Bingo. What's my favourite food?"

He takes a step forward.

Now Iruka looks properly incredulous. "You don't."

Kakashi is right in front of him now.

"And who is most important to me?" Kakashi murmurs, tugging at Iruka's shirt.

Iruka stares at him in disbelief, a flush stealing the bridge of his nose. "How the hell would I know?" he curses half-heartedly, trying to pry Kakashi's fingers away from his shirt.

"Two out of three. Not bad," Kakashi smiles, before kissing Iruka gently. "The most important person is.. Hitomi-chan! She's the main character in Icha Icha Paradise."

Iruka feels he does not have room for any more emotions. He opens his mouth to retort, but Kakashi silences him with a short kiss and a wink.

"Alright," Kakashi concedes. "The most important person is you. I believe you."

Iruka looks around, embarassed. "You're so soppy, you know."

Kakashi grins, holding up the deformed paper crane. "What's this made of?"

"Some operating manual. I think the nurse was baffled when I started tearing up the booklet."

Kakashi's smile fades, his face quickly turning serious. "When'd you remember?"

Iruka shrugs, beaming up at him. "I found one in my old uniform a few hours ago and I just did."

"So that means there already was a thousand," Kakashi mutters to himself. He can hardly believe this is happening.

"What?" Iruka asks, "I thought I told you to stop mumbling to yourself, Kakashi."

Kakashi grins. "How did you like the apples?"

Iruka presses his lips to Kakashi's cheek. "Loved them. Thanks," he lies, remembering the bowl which he had thrown out of the window slightly guiltily.

"Up for some tea?" Kakashi offers again, leading Iruka back to sit.

"Apple juice."

"Milk?"

"Apple juice," Iruka insists.

"God, you're really obsessed with apples, aren't you?"

"No I'm not," Iruka grumps, "Alright, the tea then."

Kakashi busies himself with making tea and turns only when he hears a cry of surprise from Iruka, who pulls a brightly-coloured rope from under the bed.

"Kakashi, what's thi—Oh." Iruka's eyes softened, and Kakashi knew that that man was going to go all soft on him again. "This is so—"

"Actually," Kakashi interrupts, smiling, "I was bored."

Iruka gives him a look of disbelief.

"Er. Right. Here's your tea. Have you heard about Naruto? He—"

Iruka drops the matter in favour of Naruto.

-

Later, when Iruka is sleeping, and Kakashi has reassured himself that this was indeed him, here, alive, the same, he reaches into his pocket and carefully, quietly, places it next to his prized Icha Icha Paradise collection.

Iruka, dreaming quietly, smiles drowsily in his sleep.

-

end .

author's note : I apologise for the delay. I simply did not know how to end this without it becoming a flop/a piece of cold fish. Even know I have my doubts about this chapter and its ending, but what's done is done.

I thank everyone, really, for their reviews. They've been a major encouragement to me. Without you all, every single one of you, I'd given up long ago. I hope this story has not been a letdown plotwise, characterwise and structure-wise. I'm not too happy with this story as (like some said) there could be more fleshing out. I think I'll touch up on this one day, in the near future. Of course, I'll write more fics, which I hope will get better. Afterall, there is always (a lot) of room for improvement.

That was long, innit? I'll be at livejournal with the username shoestain, and I love people to come visit. Once again, I thank you for your reviews. Even though there has not been an individual reply system, I still love every single one of you.

Thank you.


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